Merry Christmas, Toby
by mynewhobby
Summary: It wasn't until she moved away from Kelly's desk, that she realized how sweet Toby really was. A short, little one shot.
**I am working my way through The Office on Netflix and I am only about halfway through the series, so I apologize if I get any information wrong or if any of what I say contradicts the later seasons of this great show. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh my god, Ryan, you won't _believe_ what I got you for Christmas," Kelly excitedly announced from within her little corner cubicle.

Sofia smiled and shook her head, looking over at Toby beside her who wore the same expression. The feisty customer service rep continued to ramble on to her boyfriend about what she got for him, while the phone rang on Sofia's desk, giving her a moments relief from the mindless conversation she thought she would have to sit through.

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Sofia. How can I help you?" she asked cheerfully. She looked over towards Toby again, feeling only slightly guilty that she had a distraction while he didn't. Toby exaggerated a defeated expression then slowly brought his hands up to cover his ears. Sofia smiled then clenched her lips between her teeth, trying not to laugh into the phone.

When she first started working at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, along with the few other members from the disassembled Stamford branch, Sofia didn't really see all that much of Toby. She worked in the annex with him, but she only knew him as the kind, shy HR guy who Michael picked on too much for no apparent reason. He was always nice to her and they shared short, pleasant conversations together during random lunch hours during the week, but she didn't know all that much about him. It wasn't until after she moved away from Kelly's desk, that she realized just how sweet he really was.

Sofia remembered the day, quite vividly, when she began to like Toby as more than a work aquaintance. She had been working at the Scranton branch for 12 days, before she asked to meet privately with Michael. Although she liked Kelly and thought that she was very nice, Sofia admitted to her new boss that sharing a small work space with Kelly, back to back, frequently prevented her from hearing their customers on the phone, and informed him that she had also received a few complaints from them regarding this issue. Michael, not wanting to be the bad guy, told Kelly that she deserved a bigger space in the annex, seeing as she had been there longer, and therefore decided to move Sofia away from her desk. Kelly seemed thrilled, seeing it as an opportunity to spend more personal time back there with Ryan, and Sofia was thankful that she would be able to fully hear her customers again, and hopefully not have as many headaches by the end of the day. That same day, she moved her things over to a new desk that was placed a few meters away from Toby's and sat down into her chair with a slow sigh of relief. She looked over at Toby who had helped her move a few things over, and found him smiling at her for perhaps a few seconds too long, before simply saying "welcome." That was when it all began.

It was simple, little things about Toby that caught her attention. The way his voice softened and his face lit up when he spoke to his daughter on the phone. His concern for the employees at Dunder Mifflin when they approached him with a complaint. The sad expression he wore after being put down by Michael. And, although she thought she might be imagining it, the way he seemed to have a different smile just for her. As time went on, Sofia tried to play off her growing feelings for Toby as a simple workplace crush, but she knew that she wasn't fooling herself.

"Oh, of course. I can absolutely bring that to his attention and I want to apologize for this mistake," Sofia said sincerely, writing down the complaint about Creed.

Toby looked over at Sofia and watched her scribble feverishly onto a pad of paper, holding the phone between her left ear and shoulder as she took notes. He smiled slightly and leaned back into his chair, trying to ignore Kelly behind him. Without really meaning to, he began staring at her. He let out a slow, deep breath, once again telling himself how beautiful she was. He watched as her long, light brown hair draped over her delicate neck and fell down her back. He thought of the day that she introduced herself to him in the annex, confidently shaking his hand and offering him a bright smile. It was her striking hazel eyes that caught his attention right away and made him feel nervous around her, in a fun sort of way. She quickly became the reason why he smiled on his way to work everyday.

"Are you guys staying late?" Kelly asked as her and Ryan left her cubicle with their jackets in hand.

"Um ... I ... no, I don't this so," Toby hesitated, looking between Kelly and Ryan and Sofia, who had just given them the "one second" gesture. He hadn't realized that it was already 5 o'clock on their last day of work before Christmas.

"Okay. Well, Merry Christmas" Kelly cheered a she detoured over to Toby and gave him a quick hug. She quietly stepped over to Sofia and gave her a hug as well, trying not to disturb her call. Sofia hugged her back, while continuing to talk to her customer, then waved and happily mouthed "Merry Christmas," when they stepped apart.

Just as Kelly and Ryan left the room, Sofia hung up the phone and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She slouched back into her chair and rolled her head back and forth to relieve the tension in her neck.

"Heading out?" Toby asked as he got out of his chair.

Sofia looked up at him and quickly answered "God, yes," before starting to shut down her computer. She got up and gathered her purse, scarf, mitts and coat while making sure that her computer shut down properly.

"So when do you get to see Sasha?" Sofia asked, seeing the corner of Toby's mouth twitch into a small smile. She loved how much he adored his daughter.

"I'm having lunch with her on Christmas Eve and then seeing her on Christmas Day for a bit before dinner, and then I have her from Boxing Day until the day before she goes back to school," he explained, feeling thankful that he was going to get to spend so much time with her.

"That's great," she announced with a smile, feeling excited for both Toby and Sasha. Her smile slowly faded as she looked at Toby and realized that she wouldn't see him until after the new year. A small ache began to build in her chest, knowing that she would miss him.

"Are you ready to go?" Toby asked as usual, as they often walked out together at the end of the day.

"Yeah," Sofia answered, suddenly feeling a twinge of sadness wash over her.

They walked to the door leading to the break room and Sofia noticed herself starting to take shallow breaths as she watched Toby ahead of her, wondering where this was coming from. She had recently been fighting with the urge to let Toby know how she felt about him, but didn't want to ruin their working friendship. They worked so close together, literally, and if she confessed her feelings and they weren't mutual, she couldn't imagine how awkward it would be having to sit beside him everyday and pretend like nothing happened.

Toby opened the door and held it for Sofia to walk through first. She stepped into the doorway and turned back to thank him, when she noticed that he wore the smile she knew he reserved just for her. The shallow breaths came faster and she knew that Toby noticed them as well. He looked at her with concern and finally asked "Are you okay?"

Sofia, struggling with doubt and want, could only stare at him, going back and forth between his eyes and his lips. She faught against her better judgment in that moment, convincing herself that if she let him know how she felt and he didn't feel the same way, then at least she had the holidays to compose herself before seeing him again. Finally, she took a hesitant step forward, paused to look into Toby's eyes, then leaned in further and pressed her lips to his. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply at so many sensations. The feeling of his soft, warm lips against hers, the tiny stubble on his chin that pressed against her skin, the thrill she felt at taking such a big risk, and the fear that he would push her away at any second.

She pulled away from him after a few seconds, noticing that, although he hadn't pushed her away, he hadn't exactly kissed her back either. Sofia opened her eyes but looked downward for a second before looking up at Toby, who looked shocked.

"Merry Christmas, Toby," she said, hearing the catch in her own voice. She gave him a half smile and stepped away in order to calm herself, seeing Stanley and Phyllis walking towards Pam at the front desk. She suddenly felt a hand firmly grab her left wrist and gently pull her back.

Toby gently but urgently pulled Sofia back into the annex, both of them dropping their belongings along the way as he led her farther into the room. Sofia locked eyes with Toby as he guided her around and behind the large divider in the room between the door and their desks. He stopped and pulled her towards him again, turning to place her in front of the wall so that no one in the office would seem them. Toby placed his hands around her waist and stepped into her, pressing his body against hers, stopping, as she had, to look her in the eyes before hungrily pressing his lips to hers.

Sofia could feel the difference between this kiss and the one they just shared less than a moment ago. She lifted her arms and draped them around his shoulders, allowing their bodies to come closer together. Her heart raced as he barely parted his lips and captured her bottom lip, pulling gently. A slight moan escaped her as Toby parted his lips again and lightly traced the tip of his tongue across her bottom lip. She answered him by parting her lips and meeting his tongue with her own. It was his turn to moan in response. He pulled her in tighter then and brought his right hand up her back, deepening their kiss. Their moves became almost frantic as they continued, not being able to get close enough to each other. Toby had dreamt of a moment like this since shortly after he met her, but he never imagined that she would be the one to initiate. He felt every curve of her body against his own, and realized that she felt better than he ever could have imagined.

The door suddenly swung open and they quickly parted, backing away from each other while trying to calm their breathing.

"I'm such an idiot. I forgot my purse," Kelly announced when she spotted Toby and Sofia still in the room. She looked at them and noticed something odd about them. They both looked flushed and nervous, like they had just been caught doing something. "Wait, were you guys just talking about me?" she asked, starting to feel both angry and hurt.

"No, no," Sofia and Toby both answered at the same time. Sofia turned away to make sure her hair and shirt were in order and Toby straightened his tie and stopped himself before he checked to sure his shirt was tucked in all the way.

"Okay, well, have a nice Christmas you two," Kelly said, still wondering if they had just been talking about her. She almost tripped over Sofia's coat on her way out "My god, this place is such a mess," she added while walking out.

Sofia and Toby waited a few seconds to make sure that Kelly was gone before snickering and breaking into laughter. As they began to calm down, Toby closed the gap between himself and Sofia and reached out to gently grab her forearms. He slowly slid his hands down and finally held her hands in his. Sofia looked down at their hands, then looked up into his eyes with a calm smile, finding a grin on his face as well. They stayed that way for a moment, both of them realizing that things between them had just changed forever.

Toby leaned in slowly this time and gently kissed Sofia. When he pulled away, she looked beautiful, and very happy. "Merry Christmas, Sofia."

She smiled and knew she was blushing. "Merry Christmas, Toby."

* * *

 **Please, let me know what you think :)**


End file.
